9781422275986

These games had referees and scorekeepers and were regarded as a form of entertainment for the community. Some of the women’s matches attracted as many as ten thousand fans. While this may not seem like a lot when we think about how many people today's giant stadiums hold, this was an incredible number of fans in one place during this era , especially for a women’s event.

Girls around the world, like these schoolgirls in England, have played soccer in one form or another since the turn of last century.

A TURN FOR THE WORSE According to BBC News, in the 1920s many in the sport’s hierarchy believed women’s soccer was growing too popular—to the point that women’s soccer may have been on its way to becoming more popular than men’s soccer. For a time, professional soccer organizations actually suggested that men’s clubs should refuse to allow women’s teams to use their facilities. Basically, these professional organizations were attempting to put a ban on women’s soccer. While not all national

organizations put these rules into place, many did. In most countries, organized women’s soccer simply ceased to exist.

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